Six Face Federal Charges Of Conspiracy To Manufacture Methamphetamine In Bureau County
PRINCETON, Ill. - A grand jury has charged six Bureau County, Illinois, residents with participating in a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine over the past two years. Those charged are: Shane Walters, 27; Nicholas Hand, 29; Kyle Dye, 23; Jenna Regal, 23; Nikole Walters, 26; and Max Moritz, 32, all of Princeton, Illinois and the rural surrounding area.
The grand jury returned the indictment last week; however, the indictment remained sealed pending the defendants’ arrests yesterday, excepting Regal, who is currently hospitalized for childbirth. A summons will be issued for Regal’s court appearance at a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court. Initial appearances for the five defendants are scheduled today in federal court in Peoria.
Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, today joined Bureau County State’s Attorney Patrick Herman; Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson; Princeton Police Chief Tom Root; Chief of Investigations Division for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Kevin O’Connell; FBI Special Agent in Charge David A. Ford; and DEA Resident Agent in Charge Glenn Haas, to announce the indictment. Members of the Tri-Dent Task Force worked cooperatively with federal and state agencies to investigate the case. The case is being prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tate Chambers.
The indictment alleges that the six defendants conspired together and with others participating in the conspiracy over a two-year period, beginning in or about April 2011 and continuing to the present, and involving more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
If convicted, the penalty for the offense carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison. If a defendant has one prior felony drug conviction, the mandatory minimum penalty is enhanced to 20 years to life in prison. With two or more prior felony drug convictions, the statutory penalty is life in prison without parole.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Parents and children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.
